Competitive Speech and Debate team starts the new season

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The Speech and Debate season has officially started. Last year’s Speech and Debate team won several trophies at competition and the team hopes to do the same this year. This year, however, the team has only eighth graders.

“I think it [lack of seventh graders] will hurt us for a while because the seventh graders really helped us win trophies last year,” says speech and debate coach Natalie Houston, “but, hopefully we’ll adjust to that.”

Most of the team members this year have not done speech and debate before. One of these students is Lillian Tate.

“This is my first time in competitive speech and debate,” says Tate, “I am beyond excited for the competitions!” Tate is in several events including a humorous duet.

The competitive speech and debate team will go to four competitions this year which will be held in Branson, Republic, Marshfield, and maybe Nixa.

“Acting and putting on a fun or dramatic show for everyone to enjoy,” says Tate, “is one of my favorite things to do.”

“I think we’re going to have a really good season,” says Houston, “we’ve got a lot of good performers and good pieces.” As a whole, the team might be performing a lip sync.

Ozark Junior High School Speech and Debate team of 2015-16 competes with a lip sync. “I think we do a lip sync this year,” says Lillian Tate, “which sounds really fun.” Last year, the team won in this event.

“I am most looking forward to doing my duet with Aaron Tomczyk,” says Tate, “our script is hilarious, and he is an amazing actor.”

The Ozark High School Speech and Debate team’s season started much earlier in the year. The team is successful at many of their tournaments.

“If I have the opportunity to do speech and debate in high school,” says Tate, “I will definitely join the team.”